Research Unit of Nursing Science and Health Management, University of Oulu, Aapistie 5 A, 90220, Oulu, Finland; Degree Programme of Radiography and Radiation Therapy, Oulu University of Applied Sciences, Kiviharjuntie 4, 90220, Oulu, Finland.
School of Rehabilitation and Examination, Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Myllypurontie 1, 00920, Helsinki, Finland.
Radiography (Lond). 2021 May;27(2):381-388. doi: 10.1016/j.radi.2020.09.019. Epub 2020 Oct 10.
The aim of this study was to describe patients', radiographers' and radiography students' experiences of the developed 360° virtual counselling environment (360°VCE) for the coronary computed tomography angiography (cCTA).
A descriptive qualitative approach was used. The participants were cCTA patients (n = 10), radiographers (n = 10) and radiography students (n = 10) who used the 360°VCE and visited or worked at a university hospital in Finland. The 360°VCE, resembling the authentic environments of a CT imaging unit, included digital counselling materials in text, image, animation and video formats. Data were gathered through thematic interviews individually to obtain an understanding of participants' perspectives and analyzed by inductive content analysis.
Five main categories and 15 categories were identified. Identified benefits of the 360°VCE for patients included improvements in knowledge, spatial and environmental orientation, and senses of security and self-efficacy, with reductions in fear and nervousness. Patients found the counselling materials engaging, and that the 360° technology conveniently provided reassuring familiarity with the environment before their visit. Identified benefits for radiographers and radiography students included improvements in patients' mental preparedness, knowledge, spatial and environmental orientation, and reductions in patients' fear, which eased procedures and enhanced diagnostic success. The 360°VCE also provided useful information and familiarization with the cCTA unit for students during clinical practice and staff of referring units. CONCLUSION: It seems that patients', radiographers' and radiography students' experiences of 360°VCE respond to patients' needs by improved knowledge and reduced fears. Thus, current counselling practices can be usefully complemented with spherical panoramic imaging technology and online information delivery.
The results may be used to improve patient counselling and care, thereby optimizing the cCTA examination procedure and reducing fear. However, further research is needed to characterize experiences of the 360° VCE more comprehensively.
本研究旨在描述患者、放射技师和放射医学专业学生在使用冠状动脉计算机断层扫描血管造影（cCTA）的 360°虚拟咨询环境（360°VCE）方面的体验。
采用描述性定性方法。参与者为使用 360°VCE 的 cCTA 患者（n=10）、放射技师（n=10）和放射医学专业学生（n=10），他们曾访问或在芬兰的一所大学医院工作。360°VCE 模拟 CT 成像室的真实环境，包含文本、图像、动画和视频格式的数字咨询材料。通过个别主题访谈收集数据，以了解参与者的观点，并通过归纳内容分析进行分析。
确定了五个主要类别和 15 个类别。患者认为 360°VCE 的益处包括知识、空间和环境方向感的提高，以及安全感和自我效能感的增强，同时减少了恐惧和紧张感。患者认为咨询材料很吸引人，360°技术方便地提供了对环境的熟悉感，从而在就诊前减轻了他们的焦虑。放射技师和放射医学专业学生认为的益处包括患者心理准备、知识、空间和环境方向感的提高，以及患者恐惧的减少，这使程序更加顺畅，并提高了诊断成功率。360°VCE 还为临床实践中的学生和转诊单位的工作人员提供了有关 cCTA 单位的有用信息和熟悉感。
似乎患者、放射技师和放射医学专业学生对 360°VCE 的体验满足了患者的需求，提高了知识水平，减少了恐惧。因此，目前的咨询实践可以很好地补充球形全景成像技术和在线信息传递。
研究结果可用于改善患者咨询和护理，从而优化 cCTA 检查程序并减少恐惧。然而，需要进一步研究更全面地描述 360°VCE 的体验。
